She talks about her time at NCS, what she's doing now, and how NCS helped shape her life and faith.
A Class of 2010 graduate of Nanaimo Christian School, Alyssa (DeSchiffart) Morton now lives with her husband in the greater Victoria, BC, area and works as a speech-language pathologist. Here's what she had to say about her time at NCS, what she's doing now, and how NCS helped shape her life and faith.
1. What is your fondest memory during your time at Nanaimo Christian School? Some of my fondest memories are from the various school trips that I got to do in high school: a couple band trips, including trips to Toronto and Disneyland. I also went on a trip to England and France as part of a French 12 class. Getting to travel with my best friends was such a special experience and we made so many great memories.
"I was at NCS from Kindergarten to Grade 12, so I really grew up at NCS. I made some amazing friends during my time there and for me it was a safe place to learn about who I was, who God was, and how those two things connected together. Being at NCS helped me to grow and challenge my faith as I saw it being lived out around me every day."
2. Tell us about your work.
I work as a speech-language pathologist in Victoria, BC, as well as for a Ministry of Education provincial outreach program called Inclusion Outreach. We work with kids with multiple and complex disabilities around the province and help build the capacity of local teams to better support these students and include them in their classes and school communities. The students that we work with through Inclusion Outreach are often non-speaking, wheelchair users, and dependent on an adult for their daily needs.
3. What drew you to that field?
I've always wanted to work with kids and have had a heart for kids with complex needs and disabilities. When my mom suggested that I shadow a speech-language pathologist when I was in my undergrad, I immediately connected with the profession and began working towards completing my masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
4. What's one thing you're proud of?
I'm proud of the work I get to do. With my job at Inclusion Outreach, I get to work with school teams all around the province and help make meaningful changes in the lives of kids. My team and I work with school staff and families to help them build inclusive and meaningful educational programs for our students. We hear so many amazing things from the teams that we work with about how impactful our work has been in changing their perspectives to better support these students and take steps toward improving their quality of life as they learn alongside their peers. It's always so amazing to hear about the genuine friendships that are built and see our students living full and rich lives.
5. In what ways did NCS shape your character or faith?
I was at NCS from Kindergarten to Grade 12, so I really grew up at NCS. I made some amazing friends during my time there and for me it was a safe place to learn about who I was, who God was, and how those two things connected together. Being at NCS helped me to grow and challenge my faith as I saw it being lived out around me every day.